E-Kantipur

JAN 05 - Softening his position against the hardliners, UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has hinted that his crucial policy paper presented at the party’s Central Committee (CC) last week will not be put to vote.

The development comes amid widespread speculations within the party and outside that Dahal had finally made up his mind to exercise his strength in the party’s central committee and take decisions that are opposed by party hardliners.

Dahal’s calculation follows increasing polaraisation between the Maoists and the NC-UML on crucial constitution-making issues, such as forms of government and identity-based federalism. Maoists are rooting for an executive presidency and identity-based federalism, while sections of the UML and the NC want continuation of the Westminster parliamentary system and broadening the definition of identity to carve out federal states.

 “Why should the chairman bypass the hardliners if there is no progress in constitution drafting?” asked Politburo member and Dahal’s aide, Haribol Gajurel. “This will be a lose-lose situation for him and will only lead to a situation where there will neither be a new constitution nor a unified party.”

Dahal is in regular consultations with the point man in the hard-line faction General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa, Standing Committee member Netra Bikram Chand and Politburo member Kul Prasad KC.

Maoist leaders say Dahal’s changed position follows repeated failures at brokering a deal with the NC and the UML on the core issues in the new constitution.

Dahal has appealed to the hardliners that both the party establishment and the hard-line faction should look at preparing a common document on the party’s immediate programme and policies. Currently, there are two competing documents pitched at the party’s Central Committee—one by Dahal and other by his nemesis Mohan Baidya.

According to a hard-line leader, Dahal has assured the Baidya faction that he would not “compromise on the party’s core issues,” such as executive presidency, right to self-determination and federalism based on identity and on scientific land reforms. Hard-line leader Chand said talks with Dahal have been positive.

“As there are currently two political documents in the party, discussions are under way at different levels to manage the differences,” Chand told the Post. Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and Vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha are also holding talks with the hardliners.

Meanwhile, Baidya loyalists, speaking at the party’s CC meet, criticized Dahal for not being consistent with his speech. Leader Sabitri Kafle said Dahal’s words and actions are not trustworthy.

“There is no ground to trust chairman’s speech and action,” said Kafle, citing the documents prepared after the Kharipati plenum and Dahal’s seven statements. “Chairman, you say one thing and do another, you can’t be trusted even 10 percent,” she said. 

Posted on: 2012-01-05 08:29

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